


Everything Is Okay Now

by Little_Crickett



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Depression, Domestic Phan, Father-Daughter Relationship, Happy Ending, Life gets better, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, daddy dan, dads being dads, papa phil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 21:57:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9259172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Crickett/pseuds/Little_Crickett
Summary: Dan reflects on how far he and Phil have come since the very beginning. Based on this Tumblr post: “At 17, I was a depressed teenager who self harmed and wondered about just how painful it could possibly be to end my life. Right now, I’m laying on the couch, and I can hear my husband reading our four year old a bedtime story using silly voices. Life gets better. Make sure you’re there to see it.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> This surely isn't my best work but it is really cute fluff that I hope you enjoy. :)

It seemed the dynamic duo was unstoppable. Since the success of TATINOF and DAPGO Dan and Phil had written two more books. A recipe book from all their combined baking videos and A How-To Internet book filled with tips and tricks and personal stories all about how to create your very own internet empire. They had also co-starred in a full length movie created by PJ and Chris. It was only a 80 minute indie flick, but still had high reviews on Amazon Prime. In addition to all this they had done one more American and European tour with a new show. 

It was now 2025 and it had been a crazy day. Exhausting, really. Most weekends were extremely hectic in the Howell-Lester house. Monday through Friday was dedicated to their own empires, both joined and independent. But this was Saturday night, which meant all family all the time. The fringed duo turned quiffed trio four years earlier with the arrival of Juniper Grace. 

The fringe haircut had gone out of style, become ironic, back in style, and out again all before the couple quietly married in 2020. Much like a suicide pact they changed their iconic locks in favor of the more manageable style when they realized baby June didn’t allow them to skillfully flat iron their hair before every outing. Friends mockingly and lovingly referred to it as their “Mom Haircut”. 

Their red headed, deep dimpled, brown eyed, daughter Junie was an impromptu decision after a drunken birthday celebration a year into their marriage. 

“I want kids.” Phil had said after several drinks in a crowded room. His arm was lazy around Dan’s waist. His husband was nursing his sixth glass of wine. It was Phil’s 34th birthday and in their spacious home they were surrounded by other youtubers and friends whom they loved. Per usual, there was a strict “No Social Media” policy. The last thing any of them needed was (more) drunken photos or accidental vlogs being uploaded.

“Let’s find a frickin’ kid then!” Dan shouted helpfully. “Louise, you have kids. Let us have one!”

“Over my dead body.” The equally drunk friend laughed. 

“No, Dan.” Phil whined. “My kid. Your kid. A kid of ours. A baby kid. A small one.” 

“Can we do that?” Dan asked seriously. “Can science do that?” 

“Maybe.” Phil shrugged and finished his drink. “I’m too old to be doing this.”

“Shut up and drink!” Louise playfully taunted. 

The next morning was followed by confirmation that they were too old to drink like it was 2009. By the time Dan left the bedroom around eleven, Phil had already been up for hours. Dan found his partner with messy hair and glasses, pajama bottoms, and a computer open on his lap. 

“Whatcha looking at?” Dan yawned and curled into his husband’s side. On the screen Dan saw rows of smiling women with various backgrounds and small bios under the pictures. 

“This is a really bad way to tell me you’ve changed your mind about me, Philly.” Dan said with a nervous laugh. 

“I’m not looking for me.” Phil said reassuringly. “These are surrogates.” 

“Why?” Dan pointed to a brunette woman holding a yorkie dog. Phil clicked her picture which lead to another page with her bio and information. 

“Well, I’m not carrying the kid. We can use my swimmers but I’m not carrying the kid.” Phil muttered as he read Molly’s bio. 23, college graduate, non smoker, no health issues, loves dogs, allergic to bees…

“What kid?” Dan sat up and stared at Phil, desperately trying to recall any conversation in which a child was brought up. 

“I was serious last night, Bear. I want a kid. I’m 34. Martin already has two and a half kids.” 

“A half?”

“Well, his wife is like five months pregnant with their third. That’s a half kid, right?” 

“I guess so.” Dan muttered. “How long have you been thinking about this?” 

“Maybe a year now.” Phil shrugged. “I didn’t even realize it fully until Louise was showing us pictures of her new baby. I don’t want to be that weird dad at the playground where no one can tell if I’m the dad or the granddad.” 

“You’d be a hot granddad.” Dan kissed his husband on the cheek. 

“What about her?” Phil clicked on the profile of a young woman who looked like a female version of Dan. Nine months and a lot of life changes later Juniper Grace Howell-Lester was brought into the world at 12:54am. Nothing was ever the same again. 

Five years later in 2025 Dan, Junie, and Phil were coming home from a day trip to the zoo. They had stopped for dinner on the way home and now it way too close to bedtime for anyone to be in a good mood. Junie was sticky faced and exhausted from hours of walking and making animal noises. 

“Daddy, I don’t want to take a bath.” Junie whined as she was carried into the living room and dropped on the couch. 

“Tough. You smell like an elephant.” Dan teased. He smiled as the toddler took off her shoes and pouted in a way not entirely dissimilar from Phil.

“You smell like a llama!” Junie shot back. 

“I take that as the highest of compliments.” Dan boasted. He sat on the couch beside her and she climbed in his lap. Phil came in the room from hanging up their jackets and flopped down on the couch beside his two favorite people. 

Against most odds, Junie looked like a 50/50 clone of him and Dan. It was weirdly clinical creating such a beautiful miracle but nothing he and Dan did was typical. 

“I’ll do her bath and bed tonight, love.” Phil told Dan with a soft kiss. 

“Thank god. I’ve only done it every night this week.” Dan exaggerated. 

“Or I just don’t have to go to bed!” Junie suggested happily. 

“No way! Your bum is going to bed. Daddy is clocking out. Go see, Papa.” Dan yawned and gently shoved the girl off his lap. 

“Come here, June Bug. Give Daddy night-night kisses.” Phil said before taking the tiny girl to the bathroom. 

Dan curled up on the couch and tugged a blanket over himself. He pulled out his phone and checked his and Phil’s channels. New views, new comments, new fans. It was hard to believe he had been a YouTuber for over 15 years. He didn’t go into it to be wealthy or to have ‘phangirls’. He went into it to impress a boy with stellar blue eyes you could go swimming in. It just so happened to be the best decision he’s ever made. 

Phil stood by Dan through every crisis. Through every meltdown. He loved him even when he didn’t deserve love. Dan had loved Phil with every fiber of his being since the first time they kissed at the train station on a sunny October day many years ago. Even when he hated himself, Dan loved Phil. Even when he wanted to die, Dan couldn’t live without Phil. 

Dan, now overcome with drowsiness, switched on the television to keep awake. From down the hall he heard Phil using goofy voices while washing their daughter’s hair before helping her dress in clean jammies and tucking her into her tiny pink bed. If only 34 year old Dan could go back and tell 18 year old Dan that everything would be okay. Everything would be more than okay. 

Well over a decade after the hardest years of his life, Dan was still falling asleep in the home he shared with the ever Amazing Phil.


End file.
